He went to the hospital since he had a headache for a few days
Luis Ortiz is a man who has an extraordinary story to share. What he had to say of his hospital experience is shocking, to say the least, and causes shivers down the spine.
At the time he had just begun his senior year at Sacramento State, Ortiz visited his mother in Napa where he experienced the worst headache of his life.
He couldn’t stand the pain, so his mother called the ambulance. Ortiz was sent to the hospital where doctors ran a bunch of tests and CT scans.
To the disbelief of the medical professionals, the scans showed the presence of a tapeworm inside Ortiz’s brain.
His condition required an emergency surgery so the doctors at the Queen of the Valley Medical Center didn’t waste time.
Special equipment with a camera was used to detect the parasitic tapeworm larvae that had developed into a cyst obstructing circulation inside Ortiz’s brain during the surgery.
“That doesn’t sound so good, I thought. Ugh. I thought it didn’t sound good when the doctor stated it was still wriggling as he pulled it out. What are the chances, for instance, of having a parasite in my head?” Ortiz commented.
According to the doctors, the parasite could have found its way to this man’s head in different ways.
“They questioned as to whether I had lately had a raw pig, gone river swimming, or traveled to a third-world country, and I replied, ‘I haven’t done any of it.’” he explained, “But I’m not sure how long the worm has been in my skull.”
As per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, people can contract gastrointestinal parasite infection by consuming raw or under-cooked meat. Another way of ending up with this parasite is if eating food prepared by someone who already has it inside their body and transmits it as a result of poor sanitation and hygiene.
After it’s consumed, the larvae can easily travel to the brain.
“Since I wouldn’t be here right now if I had waited a little longer,” Ortiz said, “It’s surely more rewarding to me to be alive.”
We are so glad this man managed to survive.
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